Family Affairs
by DixonVixen93
Summary: AU: Daryl Dixon has everything, it seems. A beautiful girlfriend, a steady job and a decent house, but unfortunately, he also has a pesky older brother that likes to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong. When Daryl has his girlfriend and his brother over for a two week period, just how crazy will things get for the younger Dixon brother? Caryl, with a touch of Merchonne.
1. Reunion

**So, I just got a random idea for a story! No zombies this time around. The Dixon brothers are back, this time Merle is still in the military. I have a whole headcanon worked out here; hey, I'm not given much to go on up until the apocalypse, so I just have to improvise. Daryl is out of school by now, about twenty, which would make Merle twenty-six. **

**I do not own The Walking Dead. **

_**Family Affairs- Chapter One: Reunion**_

Daryl Dixon had lived on his own for years now. Like his older brother, Merle, the day that he turned eighteen years old, the younger Dixon moved out of his father's house, telling him what a real piece of shit he was. Will Dixon might have been their only living parent left, but that much didn't matter. Hell, Merle taught Daryl way more than their old man had _ever_ taught either one of them in their entire existence. And given that the older Dixon brother was incarcerated more times than not after getting caught up with drugs and fights, that was just damn sad.

The now twenty-year-old had his own house, making a living off working in the shipyard. Even he had to admit that he got paid a decent amount, despite the indifferent decision about his job. He heard from his brother every now and then, who was still heading up in the ranks in the military. Daryl didn't know why Merle all of a sudden decided to clean himself up and enlist in the military, but damn if he didn't. And damn if he hadn't been doing it for the past eight years. Something about that was far too suspicious to the younger Dixon. Merle could relapse at any given time; and if he did, the other soldiers might as well watch their backs. Daryl knew that his older brother was erratic, with or without the influence of drugs.

For the last few months, the younger redneck had been seeing someone. A young woman, who was on her third year in Fine Arts. She was a serious crafter; Carol could make anything out of scratch. She could cook, sew, and she was damn fine in what she did. Daryl was happy to call her his girlfriend, (even if Carol, herself, had been the one to make the first move).

Daryl walked out to the end of his driveway to check his mailbox, and was surprised to see a lone letter. The younger Dixon brother let out a long line of curses, as he imagined that letter to be another outrageous bill that he had to pay. There was a crisp breeze in the air that practically whipped Daryl in the face, and he just couldn't wait to finally get back in his house.

It was nearing the middle of November, which meant that Carol was going to be let out for Thanksgiving break. While Andrea Harrison, her best friend and roommate, offered her to come spend the holidays with her and her folks, Daryl wanted to finally ask her to stay with him for a little longer than the every other weekend. He wasn't asking for her to move in permanently, but he did want her to stay with him for the Thanksgiving holiday. Her parents, who she normally went to stay with over the holidays, were going on a late anniversary vacation. Carol couldn't say that she blamed her parents. They deserved to have some leisure time to themselves.

Daryl flopped down on his couch, carefully opening the envelope. He hadn't even looked to see who it was from. When he opened it up, he saw his brother's horrible excuse for handwriting. The first thing that came to the young redneck's mind was, _the fuck this asshole want now?_ He was joking, for the most part…

His blue eyes skimmed the sloppily written letter and, again, started cursing up a storm. Merle had to ruin all of his plans, didn't he?

_Hey there Darylina!_

_ Been thinkin' 'bout ya an' decided to make my lazy ass write this letter. So… how goes it? Find ya a decent woman to spend the rest of eternity with, jus' holdin' hands an' shit like that? _

Daryl rolled his eyes at the start of the letter. Merle just couldn't accept the fact that not everything was about sex for his younger brother.

_ Whatcha say I come up an' see ya for the Thanksgiving holiday? It's been a while, hasn't it baby brother? I got me a woman now, so she'd be coming along too. Can't get rid o' her ass now. That woman is liable to rip me a new one for even _lookin' _at her wrong. _

The twenty-year-old had to do a double take back at the letter. Merle Dixon was settling down? Man, somethin' ain't right about that. Merle never settled down for nobody.

_I think I love her, Darylina. We've been fuckin' 'round for a while now, but lately, things've been gettin' serious. I don't know, man. _

_Fuck it. Hit yer big brother back sometime soon, huh? _

Oh, this could get ugly. Having Merle, his woman, _and_ Carol over for Thanksgiving Break? Daryl knew that he was going to need to invest in a _lot_ more cigarettes before this was over with.

Might as well start early…

o—o—o

Carol sat on her bed in an Indian-style, watching her best friend pick out an outfit for her date tonight. Andrea was freaking out over nothing, obviously, but the brunette knew that she wasn't going to listen to her anyways.

"Okay," the blonde came out of her closet, clad in a tight, red quarter-length sleeved dress. Carol made a spinning motion with her fingers, making Andrea do just that. "What do you think? I want to be _tasteful_, not tacky."

"What about slutty?" Carol giggled. Andrea feigned shock and threw her hanger towards her best friend. "Hey! I'm just kidding," the brunette added between her laughter, pitching a pillow in return.

"Well…" Andrea paused for a moment, stealing a glance of herself in the mirror. "You know what? Yes, slutty would be a good adjective."

"Andrea!" Carol chided, though clearly playing. "What would your father have to say about this?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, running her hands down her dress. "What dad doesn't know won't hurt him—" Both girls were distracted by the buzzing from the brunette's cell phone. Andrea didn't even have to ask who that was. "Tell Daryl that we are in an engrossing conversation about my sex life. _That'll _make him hang up in a heartbeat."

Carol chuckled, reaching for her phone. "I'll keep that in mind, 'Drea." She smiled to herself as she answered her boyfriend's phone call.

"Hi, Daryl," she sweetly greeted.

"_Uh, hey," _the redneck replied. At this point, he was pretty sure that his heart had skipped a beat or two. What if she didn't want to stay with him? _"How're ya?"_

"Pretty good," Carol smiled down into the phone. "Me and Andrea are sitting in the dorm. She's getting ready for a date, and I'm telling her what to wear." It was so good to hear his voice. Of course, then she realized that he was acting _really_ nervous all of a sudden. "And you? How did your day go?"

"_It was okay. Listen, I gotta ask ya somethin'. Jus'—think about it, okay?"_

The brunette felt her stomach tumble uncomfortably. That was never a good sign. What in the world did she have to think about? They were so happy!

"Okay," she finally replied, her throat dry from sudden worry. "What is it?"

"_I want you to come stay with me for Thanksgivin' break. Andrea offered a'ready, I know, but I still wanted to ask anyway."_ Daryl explained, nervously flipping through channels on his TV. He didn't even know what was on, either, but he had to fiddle with something.

Carol was silent for a moment, which only worried the redneck even more. He was sitting there, thinking the worst, when in reality she was wearing the biggest grin known to man.

"_It's okay if ya don't. My brother's comin' to town anyways—" _

Oh! He wanted her to meet his family, too? "How long is your brother staying?" Carol finally broke the silence, which actually startled the young man out of his mantra.

"_He's stayin' for the full two weeks. Bringin' his woman around; I think they're tryin' ta get used to Georgia again_," Daryl told her, hoping that that much didn't shy her away from staying with them. _"Merle don't bite. He ain't the son o' a bitch to fuck wit', but he'll stay by yer side s'long as yer good to him." _

"I'd love to stay with you, Daryl!" the brunette smiled to her best friend, who had one blonde eyebrow quirked up, halfway listening to the conversation going on.

"_Really_? _Well—wh—what day's yer last class before break?" _the younger Dixon brother asked, finally able to stop and take a deep breath.

"Today, actually. Professor Blake caught the stomach bug goin' around campus, so he cancelled our last scheduled session before break," Carol explained. She rolled her eyes at Andrea, who made some remark about their professor, who the blonde, admittedly, slept with to get a better grade in Public Speaking.

"_I'll pick ya up later t'en? What time's good for you?" _

Carol glanced at the clock, noting that Andrea would be leaving within the hour. "Well, Shane's gonna come pick Andrea up around six-thirty, so I can be ready at about seven-ish?"

Daryl smirked, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "_I'll be there at seven." _

"Okay. Seven," the brunette slid the phone down to rest between her shoulder and her cheek. "I love you, Daryl."

The redneck's face grew warm at that comment. The L word had been something that he had to get used to. He loved Carol, he just had to get used to saying it. "_Love ya too, Carol."_

Carol's blue eyes lit up as she hung up with her boyfriend. Andrea waited for an explanation, that stubborn hand on her hip.

"Well, what was that about?" the elder Harrison sister asked.

The brunette smiled in response, going to tell her all of the details.

o—o—o

Daryl rolled over in bed, his worn down mattress creaking under his weight. When he went to reach for the woman who had been occupying the space beside him for about a week now, all he felt was an empty space. Instinctively, he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

The younger Dixon brother narrowed his eyes to check the time, discovering that it was well over six-thirty. His feet found the floor soon after, as he went on to the kitchen. The smell of cooking meat hit him before anything, and damn if it didn't smell good.

Carol was in the kitchen, clad in her striped bathrobe. She glanced over her shoulder at Daryl, who was just coming in. "Good morning," she greeted with a light smile.

"Mornin'," Daryl mumbled. "Was wonderin' where ya ran off to." He kissed the back of her curly head of hair and went over to the coffee pot.

"Well, I knew that you'd be hungry before going into work," Carol said, stirring the skillet on the stove in front of her. "Hope steak omelets are okay."

"Woman, yer spoilin' me wit' all o' this cookin'," the redneck plopped down at the table, taking a hearty slug of his coffee.

"The way to a man's heart," the brunette began, giving the omelet one more turn-over, "is through his stomach. And I take pride in testing that theory."

Daryl smiled at his girlfriend as she placed his breakfast in front of him. "I ain't complainin' none. Practice that theory all ya want."

Carol laughed, and was given another kiss, this time on the lips. "I love you too."

"Thanks for breakfast. I ain't used to nobody takin' care o' me like this," the redneck explained. That much was true, Merle had taught him from an early how to take care of himself. How to hunt, clean, and cook his meals. Ever since, Daryl had been doing it like second nature.

"What can I say? I like fattening up my men," the brunette rubbed her boyfriend's arm as she returned to the stove to fix her an omelet.

Daryl snickered as he started to dig into his breakfast. He had to wonder if Merle had a woman that cooked this good for him. Speaking of which…

"Ya goin' wit' me to pick up my brother later?" the redneck asked his girlfriend. It was a long ass drive to the airport, and it woulda been nice to have someone to talk to. Merle had been warned not to embarrass him but _so_ much in front of Carol. Not that he would listen, mind you.

"Of course," Carol agreed. "And he's bringing his girlfriend too, right?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. Can't wait to see what he's brought home this time." He looked up to his girlfriend, who was looking at him kind of strange. "Merle ain't got a good track record wit' women. He always brings home the wrong girl, who only want him for one thing. My brother ain't never looked for nothin' else in a woman, 'cause he ain't never wanted anythin' else but sex."

Later on, the two of them headed off to the airport to find the older Dixon brother and bring him home. To be honest, the younger redneck didn't know what to expect from his brother. Merle had always been a wild card. The only thing that Daryl was sure of about his brother was that he would go all around the world and back just to be with him. And, somehow, that mattered in the big scheme of things.

Carol slid her fingers in between Daryl's, giving it a light squeeze. Bright blue eyes met with dark blue for a split second. The younger Dixon brother found himself at peace whenever his girlfriend was around. She could stay with him forever, if she really wanted to. Unfortunately, Daryl was a tad too shy to propose something like that.

"You're kinda quiet over there," the college student spoke up, resting their entwined hands on her leg. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Nah," Daryl responded without missing a beat. He shot a look down at his girlfriend and let a natural smirk curl against his lips. "Jus' thinkin' 'bout my brother, s'all."

Carol nodded. She could understand where he was coming from. It was always a bit surreal to see family members after going for so long without seeing them. You never really knew _what_ to expect from them, especially siblings. "At least you don't have to worry about him butting into _our_ time, right? He's got his own girlfriend; surely he understands the value of alone time."

The younger redneck just laughed quietly to himself. "Merle? No, that asshole wouldn't understand privacy if it bit 'em in the balls." Seeing his girlfriend's look, he decided to elaborate. "Lemme just put it this way: if we had our door closed, with fuckin' neon lights, tellin' his ass to stay out, he wouldn't think twice 'bout waltzin' in t'ere to talk to me."

The college student rolled her eyes. "And _now_ you tell me."

"Hey, I warned ya, woman. Toughest asshole I've ever met, my brother. When Merle wants something, there ain't no challenge he won't try to wiggle his greasy ass through," Daryl explained, shrugging conversationally. "He's loyal, though, I'll give 'em that. Hated his guts for leavin' me wit' the ol' man, but he has stepped up."

Something told Carol that she was in for a rude awakening for the next two weeks…

o—o—o

Merle sat with his girlfriend, his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders. They were waiting for everyone else to clear out of the plane. The soldier made a mental note to _never_ file in the very back row of seats again. Yeah, it did give them some privacy, given that it was first class, but now it was takin' for damn ever to get off this fuckin' plane!

"Just remember," his girlfriend, the prettiest black woman that Merle had ever lay eyes on, quipped, "sitting in the back was your _brilliant_ idea."

By now, she had just finished getting her law degree. Originally, the two met on the elder Dixon's first trip outside base. It took him awhile to tell Michonne how he felt; for over a year, all they did was have sex. He would meet her out at his favorite bar after she finished with her classes for the day, and bought her a few drinks. One thing would lead to another, and he would wind up in her bed the next morning when she had to get ready for class.

Here they were, almost eight years later. Merle and Michonne knew that they were in love, but there wasn't any big rush to tell the whole world. That was why the former was so late with telling his baby brother. Merle had just figured that it was none of Daryl's concern. But now that things were startin' to get a little more serious, he thought it was now better'n never.

"Mind that tongue, woman, 'fore I take it out myself," Merle told his girlfriend, who wasn't amused by the wait at all.

"At least it'll give us something to do while everyone else takes their sweet damn time filing outta here," Michonne grumbled to herself. The solider tipped her chin up with his free hand and just looked at her for a moment or so. "What? I'm being serious."

He chuckled and let go of her chin. "Impatient, ain't we?" Merle then nodded towards her, noting the gap in the line for them. "Looks like we got our chance now."

Michonne grabbed her carry-on bag and hoisted her stiff body out of the seat. She followed in line, to which her boyfriend followed right behind her, grabbing her backside playfully. The lawyer just cut her eyes back at him, rolling her eyes at his wolfish grin.

When they finally got into the airport, the couple picked up their bags from the cargo and headed for Merle's baby brother and his significant other. It didn't take long for the solider to see Daryl's messy mop of hair.

Merle greeted his baby brother with a huge grin, and his arms extended wide. "Well hey there, Darylina! Come 'ere an' give yer big brother a hug, why don't ya?"

Daryl sighed, and wondered to himself just why he would subject himself to torture like this. _Especially_ from Merle. Nonetheless, he still accepted the hug from his brother.

The elder Dixon brother gave Daryl a good look-over as he pulled away. "Looks like someone's keepin' ya well fed, little brother," he glanced behind the younger Dixon, only to see Carol herself. "Well, well, guess I have you to thank for that, huh?"

"Yeah," Daryl grumbled, not wanting to put more attention than there probably already was from Merle's loud ass mouth. "C'mon, it's a long drive back to the house. We'll talk more then." He grabbed his girlfriend and pulled her to his side, glancing at his older brother and his own girlfriend.

Merle shrugged, slinging both his and Michonne's bags across his back. "Suit yerself, Darylina…" He pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead, sending her just ahead of him as they ventured out to Daryl's truck.

**Want to see more? Review! Let me know what ya'll want to see in this next chapter! It could be a two-shot, could be more. **


	2. Bonding

**Hey everyone! I'm finally trying to get back into the swing of things, writing wise. I've had a serious battle with writer's block here lately. Let's see what we can do with this last chapter.**

**Many thanks to: MyName'sBooDixon, a Guest, CreepyDaisy, and LaurenEmilyxx for their reviews last chapter. **

**I own nothing. **

_**Family Affairs- Chapter Two: Bonding**_

Daryl and Merle remembered how it was to live together, just like it was yesterday. Only, this time, they brought girls into the mix. The younger Dixon brother brought out some house rules when his older brother and Michonne came to stay for the Thanksgiving holiday. PDA was fine, but any time the touching got a little too heavy, away to the bedroom they would go. Daryl knew that Merle was having sex, but he didn't want to see it. _Ever_.

More general house rules were the usual: clean up after yourself, and stay the hell out of trouble. It sounded like an older brother chiding his younger sibling, when really it was the other way around. But, considering the source, Daryl didn't doubt his decision for one minute.

At first, things were fine. The brothers got along, and so did their women.

_During their first morning together, Carol woke up at about six that morning to cook breakfast for the group. She raided her boyfriend's pantry for the perfect breakfast menu; the college student loved cooking, especially for Daryl. He was always so bashful about it. Saying that she was too good for him. But, hey, that just gave her more incentive to cook for him. She hoped to convince him that he did deserve all of this. After all, he _was _the sweetest boyfriend ever. _

_Carol was focusing on beating some eggs over the kitchen counter, when Michonne came into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. _

"_Mornin'," the lawyer spoke groggily. The other young woman then spun around to see who had spoken to her. _

"_Good morning to you too, Michonne," Carol greeted, a warm smile in place. "Are you a coffee drinker?" _

"_Absolutely," she groaned, heading over to the cabinets. Daryl had no discretion about asking for food, drinks, and all of that happy horse shit. As long as you spoke up when things were low, he could care less. With Michonne and Carol, he didn't have a problem. They weren't there to eat everything in sight. Merle, on the other hand, he should have made stricter rules for._

_The darker-skinned woman grabbed a cup of coffee and went over to stand next to the art major. She took one more sip of her hot beverage and sat it down out of the way. "You want some help?"_

"_Sure," Carol replied cheekily. "You got any breakfast specialties?" _

_Michonne shrugged, a smile spreading across her full lips. "Merle eats the hell out of my homemade pancakes, so I guess I do." _

"_Mmm. Daryl loves my omelets," the college student laughed, "guess our Dixon boys just have hearty appetites." _

"_Well, my man is still snorin' like a buzzsaw, so I guess we have time to surprise them with breakfast," the other woman went around to the pantry to grab her needed ingredients and went to cook right alongside Carol._

_When the Dixon boys woke up, they immediately caught a whiff of breakfast cooking. The two of them came stumbling down the stairs like a couple of zombies, their sense of smell being the only real thing leading them to the kitchen. _

"_Well, good morning boys," Carol smiled in the Dixon boys' direction. They grumbled incoherently and both, in turn, plopped down at the kitchen table. _

"_Hmph," Michonne snorted, "you would think that these two were used to a routine or somethin'." She went around to Merle and waved her coffee under his nose, abandoning her cooking station for a moment. _

_The elder Dixon brother groaned and reached for his girlfriend, burrowing his head in her stomach. "You makin' breakfast or somethin'? Smells good down here." _

_The lawyer tipped his chin up and gave him a quick kiss. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I wasn't?" _

"_Thought I had seen e'erthin' in my life before I saw my brother bein' all mushy," Daryl grumbled to himself. He too was greeted with his girlfriend, who was bearing a steaming hot mug of coffee. He glanced up at Carol, smiling sleepily. "Good mornin', babe."_

_Carol kissed Daryl's forehead as he took the coffee into his hands. "Good morning, Pookie," she greeted sweetly. _

_Merle pulled away from Michonne's lips, scoffing quietly. "Ain't ya glad we don't get all mushy like those two?" _

_The young lawyer just laughed to herself. "Sure. If that's what helps you sleep at night." She bent down to kiss his lips once more. "Now, do you want coffee or not?" _

_The solider grumbled under his breath as he let go of his girlfriend. Okay, so what if he was in love with this woman? They had been seeing each other, off and on, for the past eight years. If she hadn't refused him a few times in the beginning, he never would have invested so much time in being with her. And now they were in love. Surely ain't no turning back now. _

_Carol left her boyfriend to resume her cooking. She had a smile on her face, as Michonne did when she got hers a mug of coffee. _

"_So," Daryl interrupted the quiet atmosphere with a tired rasp, "what did you want to do while you were here, Merle? Ya ain't been missin' much bein' away." _

"_Not a clue, baby brother," Merle began, pulling Michonne into his lap as she sat his coffee in front of him. "Surprise us, huh?" _

_Daryl shrugged and shared a look with his girlfriend. "Guess we could think o' somethin'." _

All in all, things were looking up. Of course, the younger Dixon brother forgot to take into consideration just how much time his brother spent with his head practically stuck up his girlfriend's ass. Merle Dixon had never sugar coated his sex life for anyone, and he wasn't planning on doin' that anytime soon, either.

o—o—o

Things started to get chaotic when Merle decided to waltz into his brother's room in the middle of the night. Carol and Daryl hadn't slept together yet; the two of them had agreed on waiting for the right time for the both of them. Until then, they had reached the previous two bases as comfortably as they possibly could.

Tonight, though, it seemed like a perfectly good night. The four of them had went out on a double date. They had went to the movies, and had dinner promptly after that. It was late at night when the two couples got back to the house. Michonne had announced that she would be in the bath, which meant that Merle would probably be too busy bugging the hell out of her. Oh, how wrong that assumption was.

At about midnight, Carol and Daryl were busily examining each other's tonsils. The two of them felt completely at ease; it was about time for a little chaos, whether they were ready for it or not. After all, the Dixon boys never admitted to have easy lives.

Merle's footsteps came thundering down the hallway, which drew the two out of their embrace.

Daryl sighed and rested his forehead against Carol's. "I swear, if my brother busts up in 'ere—"

"Maybe he had to get something for Michonne?" the young woman whispered, her blue eyes locking with her hunter boy's darker ones.

The younger Dixon brother just kept grumbling to himself, rolling Carol to where she was underneath him again. "S'long as he don't try nothin' funny."

"Let's just not focus on that, hmm? It's just the two of us here," Carol whispered. She wrapped her skinny arms around her boyfriend's neck and started to run her fingers through his shaggy hair.

"Hmm. Works for me," Daryl shrugged, ducking down to catch her lips with his again.

The couple's quiet time was short-lived, however. Merle decided that he _wasn't _going to be polite and knock first. He threw the door open and waltz into his baby brother's bedroom like he owned the place.

"Yo, Darylina! Where's the damn toilet paper, man?" Merle shouted, so loud that the younger Dixon brother was sure that the neighbors heard him.

Carol squeaked and curled up against Daryl for good measures. She should have known better. Of _all_ times, he had to choose _this_ time.

"Ooh! Baby brother, was I interruptin' somethin' 'ere?" Merle asked, a grin coming across his face.

"Fuck yeah, you're interrupting somethin'! Man, it's is the utility room, first cabinet," Daryl grumbled, pulling his woman closer. "I'll see how you like it when I interrupt you an' Michonne."

The elder brother just chuckled. "Oh no, no, little brother. You think I'm gonna stop doin' what I'm doin' jus' 'cause you're talking to me?" He sent the couple another shit-eating grin. "Don't lemme stop ya'll. Get to gettin' will ya?" Merle started chuckling louder, calling back as he left the room, "I ain't gettin' any younger! I need me some nieces and nephews to teach some good ol' tough love!"

Carol groaned, burrowing her face in Daryl's shirt. "He really _doesn't_ consider anyone else's privacy, does he?"

"I warned ya, babe," Daryl murmured, ducking slightly to kiss his woman's temple.

And the fun was _just _now beginning.

o—o—o

After the bedroom fiasco, things were starting to look better. Merle, surprisingly, didn't make a big deal about it and want to dog his baby brother about the fact that he caught him in the middle of doin' a little somethin', somethin'. He thought about it; damn right he did. But he decided to give his younger brother a break of some kind.

That next afternoon, a similar scene occurred. Daryl and Carol were passing through the living room, when they saw Merle and Michonne curled up on the couch together, kissing each other soundly. The younger Dixon brother would give anything in this world _not _to have to see his brother being sexually active in any way, shape, or form. Even kissing was a little iffy for Daryl, 'cause he knew what that would lead to.

The younger Dixon brother had to do a double take to catch what was really going on. Merle had one arm wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulder, but the other was resting against her thigh, with that hand tucked underneath the skirt that she wore. He wasn't paying any attention to their audience; his endeavor was to pull down her underwear. Michonne felt a little iffy about that, but she didn't start to pull away from him until she saw Daryl and Carol.

"We are in your brother's living room, remember?" She reminded her boyfriend. He huffed and sat his hand back on top of her thigh.

"Hey little brother!" Merle greeted, still highly annoyed that his brother had to ruin his fun. He didn't care if they had an audience, but he did care if his woman was comfortable or not. "We were just about to go up to our room, right my Nubian Queen?"

"Let's just wait a little later. Besides, it's about time me and Carol talk about what we're gonna do for Thanksgiving dinner," Michonne sat up, trying her best to shake that feeling of awkwardness away.

_Damn buzzkill_, Merle thought to himself. "Yeah, a'right. Me an' Daryl are gonna go out huntin', so ya'll don't have to worry 'bout buyin' meat at the store."

Thanksgiving was about a week away. Carol went to the kitchen to put on another pot of coffee, and Michonne followed suit, leaving the Dixon boys to themselves.

"Consider that payback for last night" Daryl murmured, elbowing his brother in the gut.

Merle sighed and watched his woman walk away, completely brushing off his brother's jab. "Look at her walkin' away like that. I could take her up to our room. She wouldn't have time to think about how ya'll snuck up on us," the elder Dixon brother started to grin. "Darylina, I wanna marry that woman."

The younger Dixon brother's squinted eyes grew wider. "You what, now?"

"I love her, man. I know sometimes I can be an asshole, but I'm trying. I don't wanna lose her over some stupid shit," the elder Dixon brother slumped back into the couch. "Like her walking away just now."

"That was just her trying to clear the air. She ain't gonna leave ya for shit like that," Daryl plopped down next to his older brother. "The woman is crazy about ya, even me an' Carol know that."

"Which is why ya'll are gonna help me wit' this whole proposal thing," Merle began, giving a quick nod to his little brother. Seeing his look, he added on, "ya know that I ain't good with words. It took me near eight damn years just to tell the woman that I loved her. I don't want to wait forever to tell her that I want to spend the rest o' my life with her."

Daryl shook his head of messy hair. "How in the hell are we gonna help?"

"….I'll let you know when I figure that part out…"

o—o—o

Merle finally had an idea of how he was going to propose. Daryl and Carol had no idea of what was going on, until Thanksgiving Day. Technically speaking, the elder Dixon brother himself had no idea of what he was going to do until that morning. It all popped into his head. He had gotten the ring ahead of time, thankfully. Otherwise, this would have been an even _bigger_ fiasco.

The older Dixon crept around the dining area with the sacred velvet box tucked under his arm. Carol and Michonne were distracted with dinner prep, so he decided to take the time to set up his plan. Merle dropped the box off on the middle of her place setting. He was actually getting rather nervous. The redneck had no idea if she would say yes or no. Having to wait was practically killing him.

A little while later, the women folk were starting to bring the food out to the table. Little by little, the table was full of good grub. Merle had grown more and more nervous as the day drew on, by now he was practically squirming where he sat. He watched as his girlfriend took her place between him and Daryl.

Michonne took her man's hand in her own and gave it a light squeeze. Carol looked around at her little family, and started with a blessing. While the Dixon boys were more of a _good food, good meat, good God let's eat_, kinda family now-a-days, they still joined their women in being thankful for what was in front of them and all around them.

The lawyer noted the velvet box on her plate with a quizzical expression. She looked over to her boyfriend, who was piling food on his plate. "Anyone know what this box is doing here for?" she asked that in general, but the redneck knew who she was really asking.

"It's from me," Merle finally spoke. "Go on, open it up." He nodded to her, sitting back in his seat to watch her. Daryl and Carol shared an all-knowing look; the latter had to practically hold herself back from squealing.

Michonne opened the box, eyes widening as she saw the engagement ring. The gem nestled against the band was sparkling scarlet.

The elder Dixon watched his girlfriend for a moment, trying to gauge her reactions. "Michonne," he began in a rasp, "what do you say? I can't tell you how much I love you, but I can show you—become my wife."

Daryl was beyond amazed at his brother. He couldn't imagine how nerve wracking that moment could possibly be. Seeing Merle sweat in anticipation explained everything. He could see how in love they were, all by the expression on his older brother's face.

"Yes," the young woman nodded. "A million times yes," her mouth spread into a wide smile as she slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Merle was taken by surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could. One-handedly, the redneck began to fill his woman's plate up with food. Daryl and Carol smirked back at one another as they began to tuck themselves into their dinners.

"So," the elder Dixon brother grinned at Daryl, "when are _you _gettin' hitched, baby brother?"

The younger redneck started to choke on his own food. Carol, with a look of concern on her face, just rubbed his back. "What? Yer kiddin' me, right?"

"Why would I be? We could have us a double weddin' or somethin', huh?" Merle placed his fiancé's plate down and started to shovel in his own food. Around a mouthful of food, he added, "like I said, I ain't gettin' no younger, Darylina."

"Let Carol finish college first. Then we'll start thinkin' 'bout it," Daryl glanced over at his woman, who was now blushing fiercely. He would love nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Carol, but it really was way too soon to think about settling down.

"Suit yourself," Merle elbowed Michonne and whispered to her, "we'll have a house full o' kids by the time they decide to finally get hitched, I'm tellin' ya."

"Oh great," Daryl groaned, "more Merles to boss me around." He stabbed a piece of turkey viciously, making Carol glance at him worriedly.

"Yeah. They'll love Uncle Darylina. Visits every Sunday. You an' me, boy, we'll teach 'em how the world goes," Merle nodded, "just how I raised you. We'll do the same with yer kids, too."

Merle was determined for his kids to live a better life that he did. They would know the meaning s of a tough love, but a true love nonetheless. Daryl was afraid of his kids going down the wrong path; therefore, he tried his best not to talk about future plans to start a family. He was sure that Carol would talk about with him, maybe she could even change his mind.

"Merle, kitten, let's just focus on the wedding first," Michonne laughed, caressing the back of her future-husband's neck. "Now, eat your food."

"Yes, dear," Merle murmured, kissing his woman's temple before digging back into his dinner.

o—o—o

_Epilogue_

At the end of the two weeks, Merle was sure that his place was here in Georgia, near his brother and his girlfriend. The Georgia base could be a good thing, for both him and Michonne. When they were to get married, she would receive a heavy heaping of benefits from him being in the military, as well as them staying on a military base. They could still visit Daryl; in fact, it would be a lot easier now, as the base was less than a thirty-minute drive from the house.

The elder Dixon brother had promised Daryl that he would be home by the first of the year. And, by that time, he would be a married man, ready to make the most with the rest of his life.

"Don't do nothin' stupid without me, bro, ya hear?" Merle grinned pulling away from them embrace he had with his brother.

"Try not to," Daryl cracked a smile, "take care o' yourself, Merle."

"We'll be sending you wedding invites," Michonne explained, taking her fiancé by the hand, "'cmon, honey, we got a plane to catch."

Daryl stood back, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. The two Dixon boys were separated once more, but the good news was that it wouldn't be for much longer. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the younger redneck did love his brother. He missed him when he wasn't around, no matter how hard he tried to deny it. After all, everyone had their own family affairs.

**Well, what did ya'll think? Sound off in a review!**


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